


A Warning Sign

by xFictionalDesiresx



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-11
Updated: 2016-05-11
Packaged: 2018-06-07 21:32:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6825154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xFictionalDesiresx/pseuds/xFictionalDesiresx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Its...its a long story”</p><p>He turns around to lock his eyes with hers, the corner of his mouth twitches upwards and his shoulders shrug casually. </p><p>“We have forever”. </p><p>(based on 7x21/22</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Warning Sign

I don’t love him. 

It’s what she tells herself. 

A promise that she owes to her heart. 

One that she intends to keep. 

She does not love him.

Not even when her eyes stray left and glance up at the mirror, watching his eyebrows furrow in concentration as he focuses on the road. Not when he reaches for the gear stick and she feels his hand brush the bare skin on her knee and a shiver ripples throughout her body. Not when she catches him biting his lip to stop himself from laughing when she dictates the wrong turn or when he flips on the radio and bobs his head slightly or when he always offers to drive so she can sleep instead. 

No, not even then. 

She sighs as she shifts uncomfortably in her seat and kicks up her feet onto the dashboard, proceeding to rip open her blood bag and devour its content. 

Because this is all too much. 

Him and her, running, together. 

“You might want to turn them down a bit”

It’s as if his voice snaps her back into reality, twisting her head to glance at his profile. He has his lip buried between his teeth again as he navigates his way through a storm. 

She tilts her head slightly. “Hmm” 

“Your thoughts, I can hear them from here” 

Rolling her eyes, she turns her head back and rests it against the window, using the patter of rain to calm her mind. 

“Sorry” 

His lips soften into a smile “You want to tell me what’s on your mind?”

“I thought you could already hear my thoughts?”

He chuckles under his breath, low and rough, and it somehow drowns out every other noise around them. 

“Oh, I can. I’ve just been out of the loop for a while and my Caroline Forbes language isn’t quite up to scratch.”

Despite herself, she lets out a small giggle. It’s quiet and only lasts a second, but it is progress. 

“So, you want to tell me?” he asks, his humourless tone flattening to something more serious, more concerned. “I know it’s not on your list of discussable topics but, you just look like you need a friend.”

Caroline turns to face him again, staring at him a moment as he leans over to the GPS and taps in a new location. 

“Its...its a long story”

He turns around to lock his eyes with hers, the corner of his mouth twitches upwards and his shoulders shrug casually. 

“We have forever”. 

No, she still doesn’t love him. 

 

(x) (x) (x) 

 

It’s funny how they’re doing this again. 

The whole healing process. 

Because he walked away again. 

She has to keep reminding herself of that. 

He walked away. Twice. 

He broke her heart. Twice. 

He left her for another. Twice. 

And she doesn’t love him. 

But when she’s sat in the car alone, tapping her fingers along to the old rock classic he put on the CD player whilst she waits for him to get gas, she can’t help but let it ponder her mind. 

He came back. Twice. 

He apologised. Twice. 

He chose her. Twice. 

But second chances are overrated. 

She hears the door open next to her and watches as he crawls inside and holds up a bag handing it her way. 

“Fries” he says, a smile lighting up his face. “Normal and curly” 

She nods at him as she takes the bag and opens it immediately, breathing in the smell of grease and fried potato that she has always loved. 

When she pulls back she notices he is still holding another bag. 

“Too hungry to share” she questions and he laughs. 

“Um, no. I thought I would get something to ...brighten up the car a little.” 

She stares curiously as he opens the bag and pulls out a small key chain, hooking it onto the mirror. 

“A daisy” 

He nods. “Yeah” 

She pauses for a minute, scrambling for anything to say. 

Finally, she decides not to say anything. 

Because he doesn’t deserve her words or her forgiveness or another chance.

No matter how many gifts he buys or how many romantic gestures he provides. 

She still doesn’t love him. 

 

(x) (x) (x) 

 

They develop a routine. 

He drives, she navigates. 

She forgot what a good team they make. 

It feels good. 

“Oh oh” she hears him say as she turns towards him. “I thought I just saw you smile” 

She frowns back at him “Shut up.”

Okay, so she’s being civil towards him. 

It doesn’t mean she loves him.   
(x)(X)(x)

“C” 

“Stefaaaan. You can’t chose me again” 

“Sure I can, you asked me what I spied and other than road and a never ending sea of trees, you’re the only other thing that I see. So, I spy something beginning with a C.” 

She shakes her head as she laughs. 

Three weeks on the run and they’ve finally reached this stage. 

Whatever stage that is. She hasn’t quite put a name to it yet. Nor does she think she wants to. 

“Cars” she says, her voice teasing. 

“Ooh, Close” 

“Clouds?”

“A little lower”

“Concrete?”

“A little higher” 

She wrinkles her nose and sticks out her tongue giving him her best “thinking” face. 

“Oh oh I know!” She jumps in her seat and points her finger at the sweater he picked up at a flea market they passed a few days ago. “Crime against fashion”

His whole face erupts as he laughs, loud, whole heartedly and full of genuine happiness. His head falls back onto the headrest and he tilts it to the side to glance her way, the same smile mirrored perfectly. 

“Do you give up?” he asks, voice calmer as he becomes out of breath. 

“I never give up” 

That, he knows, is true. 

And maybe the look he gives her hints that he took it the wrong way. Maybe they way he smiled before turning back to the road gave away his growing hope. Maybe his hand purposefully extending its stay on the cup holder in order to brush along her skin sends bolts of electricity up her spine. Maybe the way he whispers I know causes her heart to stumble in its beating. 

But it didn’t matter if it did. 

She doesn’t love him. 

 

(x) (x) (x) 

 

Her thoughts keep her up at night again. 

And it’s no surprise they are about him. 

She lies in bed in a rundown motel, one just like the other twenty they have stopped in. Although, this bed is a little bit softer. 

The covers scrunch around her as she lies perfectly still, tuning her ears to listen to his breath. 

It’s soft and warm and somehow finds its way in sync with hers. 

As if their hearts are trying to come together. 

Her eyes open and she finds herself just starring, absorbing the way his mouth parts and his hair flops and his eyes flicker when he reaches a particular good part in his dream. The whole vision filling her with serenity she hasn’t experienced in a long time. 

So calm in fact that she finds herself drifting off to sleep. 

As her eyes close she can’t help but wonder what he’s dreaming about. 

But deep down she thinks she already knows. 

Because when she is greeted by oblivion he is still there, just like he never left. 

But it just must be to effect of being in his presence twenty four hours day. 

She doesn’t love him. 

(x) (x) (x) 

Weeks of running and they finally find a plan. 

“The twins” he says as he places a bowl in front of her before taking a seat opposite her. 

“What about the girls?” She spins her spoon into the bowl of ice cream, scooping up as much as she can before taking it into her mouth. 

Rolling his eyes, he leans over and brushes the sides of her lips with a napkin. 

A flurry of butterflies flutter in her stomach and her breath lodges in her throat and he replaces the napkin with his fingers and sucks the extra strawberry sundae into his mouth. 

Her eyes dart away from his and stare back into her bowl. 

She clears her throat. “The girls?”

He leans back in his chair, his arms lazily crossing over his chest that match the relaxed smile he wears on his face. She thinks he looks very content. Too content. 

“We need them to open The Armoury.” He pauses for second and looks at her, only beginning again when she doesn’t say anything. “It will only be to siphon Bonnie’s magic. Once the doors open you can whisk them away and leave before we even get inside. 

Suddenly her spoon drops from her hand and crashes clumsily in her bowl. 

Because no matter what her priorities should be, she know what they are. 

“We. What do you mean we”

He drops his heads and tries to busy himself by dancing his fingers along the edge of glass. 

Her voice hardens “Stefan.” 

Sucking in a breath, he finally speaks, still staring at his drink. 

“Once we have the door open we have to retrieve the last everlasting. Bonnie obviously not an option, you will be with the kids, Enzo will be with Bonnie, which leaves me and Damon.” 

Caroline shakes her head disagreeing. 

“Stefan. You can’t go in there.”

“I have to.”

“Let Damon go in alone”

“I can’t do that”

“Why not? Has any of this taught you nothing” 

“He needs me, Caroline”

Before she knows it she is standing from her chair, eyes squinted and shoulders slumped as she feels her anger rage through her. Bubbling in her stomach and coursing through her veins until it overspills out of her mouth. 

“I need you” she shouts. 

His head snaps up and he freezes. 

And so does she. 

It’s just silence and stares and no one can really figure out what just happened. 

Or more specifically, what they do next. 

And right now she is terrified. 

She watches him as he swallows, and she feels her whole body shiver. 

His fingers press into his glass firmer and her eyes begin to burn. 

Eventually, his mouth drops open and her head is thrown into a hurricane of panic. 

“Caroline....”

“Forget it”

And with that she walks away. 

She just wants him to be safe, yes. 

She cares about him. 

She does not love him. 

(x) (x) (x)

The car drive is oddly eerie. 

Neither of them speaks. 

They haven’t in days. 

They don’t put on the radio. 

They don’t play a game. 

They don’t stop or get snacks or even acknowledge each other when Stefan’s phone rings. 

“They’re ready” he says after he hangs up. 

She doesn’t reply. 

And he doesn’t expect her too. 

She doesn’t love him back. 

(x) (x) (x)

Caroline stands a few meters away from the building, chewing on her lip and staring blankly into the distance. She feels the girls tug at her waist, but she can’t bring herself to look down at them. 

What a life she has now. 

Two children she is putting in danger. 

A fiancé who she settles for. 

A best friend who is trying to kill her. 

A enemy she can’t even see. 

A......Stefan. 

“Go to him”

She lifts up her head at the voice, face still blank as she doesn’t even try to deny her wishes. 

He nods his head once in the direction of the building. 

“Go to him” 

“But what about the girls, what about y...”

“Don’t. Don’t say me unless you mean it” 

She remains silent. 

“Go to him, Caroline. Before it’s too late.” 

And he doesn’t have to say it again. 

(x) (x) (x) 

“Stefan” 

She runs around the corner and smiles slightly as she sees them still there, still alive. 

He turns around to face her and his while face brightens. His eyes glisten and his lips widen and even his skin gets an injection of colour. 

And this time she can’t ignore that it is all her. 

Her own smile widens and she walks closer, noticing Damon behind him giving her a nod before walking away. 

She stops right before him, hands fiddling in front her and eyelashes batting as all of a sudden she is drowning in nerves and the for the first time the concept of what she is actually going to say hits her. 

“Stefan”

Tell him good luck. 

Tell him you care 

Tell him to be safe. 

Tell him you lo..

“Caroline” 

Her eyes flick upwards to meet his as he stops her. He stares back deeply into hers and she can’t even begin to separate the emotions she can see swimming in them. 

“Whatever it is you’re about to say to me, say it when all of this is over”. 

For a moment she pauses, questioning his request. 

It’s his smile that does it. 

The one she loves so much. 

The one that says I promise. 

And this time he is promising his return. 

“Okay” she nods. 

He nods back and turns around to walk away. 

When he reaches the threshold of the building, he looks back over his shoulder. 

“Don’t go anywhere” he says softly “I would hate to leave this on a cliff hanger.” 

He gives her one last smile before walking away and disappearing out of sight. 

“I’ll wait” she whispers to herself for a reason unknown to her. 

He said those words once, when he was declaring his love. 

But she doesn’t love him. 

(x) (x) (x) (x) 

3 hours. Nothing. 

4 hours. Nothing. 

5 hours. Nothing. 

The sun drops out of the sky and she now paces along the moonlight. 

One hand runs through her hair and the other clutches her chest 

She hears bangs and screams and noises she can’t comprehend. 

She finds herself running for the door several times. 

Her heart thumping and her skin burning and her whole body being consumed with him. 

But she can’t let herself admit it. 

She can’t and she won’t. 

Because she does and she knows she does. 

But she does not love him. 

(x) (x) (x)   
Eventually they arrive one by one. 

First Bonnie, looking back to normal. 

Enzo follow shortly behind, running after Bonnie as she continues to walk away. 

She is just about to question the defeated look on her face when the doors re open and standing there is the greates sight she has ever seen. 

Stefan. 

Stefan with his prefect brown hair. 

Stefan and his sparkling green eyes. 

Stefan and his crooked smile that he only wears for her. 

Stefan and his bravery as he walks out the doors with his head held high and a look that say he gave it his all. 

Her Stefan. 

And before she knows it she is running towards him, arms flying around his neck, sighing when she feels his hands tighten on her waist. Their grip is firm and desperate and the whole scene plays out like a movie she’s probably forced him to watch. 

She smiles as she feels his breath against her skin. 

It’s broken in pants and she can tell he is beyond exhausted. 

But he’s alive.

And she feels it, God she feels all of it. 

It hits her so hard she has to grab onto his shoulders to stop herself from collapsing to the ground. 

She pulls back and wastes no time in closing the gap again with her lips presses on his. 

She kisses him, long hard and desperate. 

He returns it just the same. 

And the whole world just stops. 

It’s just the two of them and this moment and the reunion of coming home. 

“Tell me” he mutters against her, still pressing kisses on her lips. 

“Tell you what” she giggles gripping at the back of his neck and pulling him in. 

She just needs all of him. 

He pulls back slightly to stare her in the eyes. 

“Tell me” 

And suddenly she realises what he means. 

“But I thought you told me to...”

She is cut off by his hand threading through her hair gently whilst his lips are the opposite. 

“Caroline” he breathes as his eyes fall to his chest. “Tell me please” 

Her eyes follow his and her whole body freezes and what she sees. 

Blood. A lot of blood. 

“No. No no no” 

Her fingers grab into the collar of his jacket and she leans against him. 

“It’s okay” he whispers. 

She shakes her head. 

“No it’s not Stefan! How is this okay? How is any of this okay”

He pulls her in again for another kiss. 

“Tell me”

“No” she is crying now. 

“Please, tell me”

She sobs “No”

He guides his hand through each strand of her hair and gazes at her as if she is the most precious thing he has ever seen. 

“I told you” he smiles weakly “I don’t want to end this on a cliff hanger” 

“And we won’t, because you’re going to live Stefan.”

He sighs contently. 

“I love you” 

She stares at him through glossy eyes. 

“I love you, Caroline Forbes.” 

His grip on her weakens and she can feel him leaning backwards. With her arms around his waist she pull him back towards her tight, holding on for dear life. 

Or in this case, his life. 

She closes her eyes, takes one, long, deep breath and just feels it. 

She lets it all in. 

No short cuts, no protection no barriers. 

And it feels euphoric. 

“I love you, Stefan” 

She watches as his smile grows wider and he plants a trembling kiss just below her ear. 

“And so ours is to be a happy ending” he whispers against her and she feels him chuckle against her. 

She nods strongly “Happily ever after” 

“Happily ever after”. 

Then he slips out of her grip. 

Both physically and metaphorically. 

Gone. 

Just like that. 

For eternity. 

And it hurts. 

Because she does love him. 

And now she’s lost him. 

Again. 

But this time he’s not coming back.


End file.
